Space glider

ABSTRACT

A TOY AIRPLANE WITH A CAPSULE AT THE FRONT FOR HOLDING A MEDIUM SIZE TOY FIGURE OF A TYPE WHICH A CHILD MAY PLAY WITH INDEPENDENTLY OF THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE IS VACUUM FORMED FROM A SHEET OF PLASTIC, WITH A RECESS NEAR THE FRONT FOR HOLDING THE FIGURE IN A BACKWARDLY RECLINING POSITION TO MORE EASILY ACCOMMODATE THE FIGURE. THE FIGURE-HOLDING RECESS FORMED ON THE TOP OF THE AIRPLANE CREATES A PROTUBERANCE ON THE UNDERSIDE, WHICH SERVES AS A HAND HOLD FOR USE IN LAUNCHING THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE WALLS ARE OF SINGLE THICKNESS, EXCEPT FOR A PAIR OF VERTICAL STABILIZERS THAT HAVE DOUBLE WALLS TO FACILITATE THEIR FORMATION DURING THE VACUUM FORMING PROCESS.

NOV. 16, 1971 c THOMPSON ETAL 3,619,931

SPACE GLIDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 10, 1969 w n 50 H mm m Nan Wm M w "Mm w. a

NOV. 16, 1971 c, THOMPSON ETAL 3,619,937

SPACE GLIDER ,2 Shots-Sheet 8 Filed Dec. 10; 1969 n 2 W m #M I V 7 aj Z M II m 6 United States Patent 3,619,937 SPACE GLIDER Norman C. Thompson, Bonita, and Dennis H. Merino,

Harbor City, Calif., assignors to Mattel, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif.

Filed Dec. 10, 1969, Ser. No. 883,756 Int. Cl. A63h 27/00 US. Cl. 46-76 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy airplane with a capsule at the front for holding a medium size toy figure of a type which a child may play with independently of the airplane. The airplane is vacuum formed from a sheet of plastic, with a recess near the front for holding the figure in a backwardly reclining position to more easily accommodate the figure. The figure-holding recess formed on the top of the airplane creates a protuberance on the underside, which serves as a hand hold for use in launching the airplane. The airplane walls are of single thickness, except for a pair of vertical stabilizers that have double walls to facilitate their formation during the vacuum forming process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention This invention relates to flyable toy airplanes.

(2) Description of the prior art Toy figures which represent astronauts are popular playthings for children. Appropriate equipment for use with such figures has also been popular, including such items as vehicles patterned after those which have been proposed for use by astronauts. One type of equipment which has been proposed for use by astronauts is a space glider for descending from earth orbit to the surface of the earth. A toy airplane which represented such a space glider would prove'highly entertaining, particularly if it actually could fly while carrying one of the astronaut figures which a child has already been playing with. However, many of the astronaut figures are relatively large, having a height such as six inches. The usual model planes would have to be very large in order to carry such a figure, but a large airplane would be expensive and would be difficult for a child to launch.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a toy airplane of moderate size, which can fly with a relatively large and heavy toy figure.

Another object is to provide a toy glider which is economical to manufacture and easy to fly.

In accordance with the present invention, an economical and realistically appearing toy airplane is provided which can fly with a relatively large toy figure therein. In one embodiment of the invention, the airplane is constructed from a sheet of plastic which has been vacuum formed into a reflex airfoil. The airplane has a depression near its forward end, which is designed to hold a toy figure of predetermined size in a reclining position, so that a large figure can be accommodated in a small airplane.

The center of gravity of the airplane, prior to receiving the figure, is spaced rearwardly of the center of lift of the airplane. However, the weight of the figure in the depres- 3,619,937 Patented Nov. 16, 1971 "ice sion moves the center of gravity to a position about even with the center of lift, so that the airplane flies well. The figure-holding depression creates a downwardly extending protuberance on the underside of the airplane, which serves as a hand hold for use by a child in launching the airplane. The airplane is provided with a pair of large vertical stabilizers, which not only serve to stabilize the airplane in flight, but provide a more realistic appearance. The entire airplane is vacuum formed and is of single Wall thickness, except for the vertical stabilizers, which are of double wall thickness to facilitate their formation in the vacuum forming process.

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a toy airplane constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 illustrates a toy glider airplane 10 of delta wing design, which has an appearance close to that of futuristic airplanes and of flying bodies which can carry astronauts from an orbiting vehicle to the earth. The airplane is designed to fly well while holding an astronaut, figure 12, and can hold a transparent capsule cover 14 that holds the figure in place on the airplane. The figure 12 is of a type which is designed for play independent of the airplane, and the figure has a weight of somewhat more than onehalf that of the airplane. The airplane is constructed of a single sheet of plastic, such as a polypropylene type, and is vacuum formed to enable manufacture at low cost.

The airplane has a large depression 16 near its forward or nose end for receiving the toy figure, the depression being elongated along the length of the airplane, to hold the figure in a reclining position. This enables the figure 12, which has a height H that is more than one-fourth the length L of the airplane, to be received in the airplane without adversely affecting the airplane appearance, and with a minimum effect of lift and drag during flight. The capsule 14 has a protuberance 18 which is designed to fit into a corresponding depression 20 in the nose of the airplane, and a pair of tabs 22, 24 which are designed to be received in corresponding slots 26, 28 behind the depression 16. The capsule not only serves to hold the astronaut in place, but improves the appearance of the airplane.

As also shown in FIG. 2, the figure-holding depression 16 creates a corresponding protuberance 30 on the underside of the airplane, which can serve as a hand hold during launching of the airplane. Another depression or recess 32 is formed behind the depression 16 to provide a second protuberance 34 whose rear wall 36 can receive the index finger during launching of the airplane. A child can launch the airplane by holding the protuberance 30 in one hand, while his index finger bears against the rear wall 36 of the second protuberance 34. As he throws the airplane forward, his index finger pushes on wall 36 to provide an added thrust. The wall 36 is located near the center of gravity 38 of the airplane with the figure installed therein, so the airplane is not easily disturbed by forces applied at wall 36.

The airplane is formed with a reflex, or reversely bent airfoil (see FIG. 4), and is provided with a pair of vertical stabilizers 40, 42. The vertical stabilizers serve to keep the airplane flying straight ahead, and also improve the appearance of the airplane, inasmuch as such stabilizers are often provided on full size aircraft. While the rest of the airplane is of single wall thickness, the vertical stabilizers are of double wall thickness. Thus, for example, stabilizer 42 has a pair of walls 44, 46 which are spaced from each other, and joined by a top wall 47. The use of double wall vertical stabilizers enables them to be formed integrally with the rest of the airplane in the same vacuum forming step wherein a sheet is formed into the reflex foil with various depressions. The double wall vertical stabilizers also have a more realistic appearance than could easily be provided by a single wall. The airplane has additional depressions, including troughs 48, 50 in the fuselage, troughs 52, 54 in the wings, and a depressed rearward portion 56 of the fuselage, all of these depressions helping to stiffen the airplane.

The trailing edge 58 of the wings and fuselage is coupled to the rest of the wing by a narrowed section 60 which forms a living hinge. The trailing edge portion 58 also has several slots 61 formed therein that divide the edge portion into several individually adjustable trim tabs. As shown in FIG. 4, a tab 62 can be moved to a variety of angles, the polypropylene plastic material allowing the trim tab to be easily pivoted, and tending to cause the tab to retain any position to which it has been pivoted. The trim tabs can alter the flying characteristics of the airplane, to make it fly straight, or to cause it to turn, or to cause it to roll. The tabs can also offset changes in flying characteristics due to the difference in weight between different toy figures installed in the airplane. The division of the trailing edge 58 into many tabs by the slots 61, enables more sensitive control of the flying characteristics. Thus, the airplane can be made to roll to the right by pivoting downwardly one or more flaps on the left side of the airplane. The use of slots to divide the trailing edge into separate tabs is especially useful where the trailing edge is curved, so that it is difficult to pivot it.

The airplane is designed so that its center of lift approximately coincides with the center of gravity at 38, that exists when the figure 12 is installed in the recess 16. The center of gravity of the airplane without the figure 12 therein is at the position 64, which is spaced a considerable distance D from the center of lift at 38, the distance D being more than one-tenth the length of the airplane. Without astronaut figure 12 installed in the airplane, the airplane will not fly well, the center of gravity at 64 being too far backward, and causing the airplane to tip backward so that the angle of attack of its wings is too great. With the astronaut figure installed, the center of gravity is about even with the center of lift at 38, and the airplane flies about level, with its wings and body having an angle of attack which allows it to fly well. The astronaut figure 12 has a weight which is more than one-half the weight of the empty airplane. The recess 16 is positioned so that when a figure of predetermined weight is installed therein, the airplane will fly well.

Thus, the invention provides a toy airplane of good appearance, which can fly well while holding a relatively heavy toy figure. The airplane can be constructed from a single sheet of plastic, all portions including a pair of tall vertical stabilizers being formed in a single vacuum forming step. The airplane can also receive a capsule cover which improves the appearance and helps to retain the figure in place. If desired, the cover can be eliminated, and a strap used to hold the figure in place. The airplane is designed for easy launch by a child, and the child can 4 also easily vary the flying characteristics by adjusting trim tabs.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and, consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy airplane for holding a toy figure comprising:

a sheet with upper and lower faces, said sheet formed into a flying surface with front and rear end portions and wings at opposite side portions, said sheet having a closed-ended depression in its upper face adjacent said front portion and between said front and rear portions, for holding a toy figure, said depres sion having a bottom wall of longitudinally stepped configuration simulating a reclining seat for a toy figure, said depression forming a protuberance at said lower face for providing a hand hold in launching the airplane, and cover means over said depression, removably secured to said sheet.

2. The toy airplane described in claim 1 wherein:

said sheet includes a recess in its upper surface immediately behind and spaced from said depression, to form a second protuberance for receiving thrust from an index finger in launching said airplane.

3. The toy airplane described in claim 1 wherein:

said wings are curved, and have a plurality of longitudinally extending slots along their trailing edge, whereby to define a plurality of adjacent and separately foldable individual trim tabs.

4. A toy airplane for holding a toy figure comprising:

a sheet with upper and lower faces, said sheet formed into a flying surface with front and rear end portions and wings at opposite side portions, said sheet having a depression in its upper face at said front portion, for holding a toy figure, said depression forming a protuberance at said lower face for providing a hand hold in launching the airplane,

a doll figure designed for use apart from said sheet, and having a weight at least about one-half the weight of said sheet; and

said sheet being constructed so that its center of gravity without said doll is spaced substantially rearward of its center of lift, and the center of gravity of said sheet with Said doll installed in said depression is approximately at the center of lift of said sheet.

5. The toy airplane described in claim 1 wherein said cover means comprises:

a transparent capsule cover fitting over said depression, said cover having a forward portion with a holding protuberance formed thereon and a rearward portion with a pair of sheet engaging members; and

said airplane having a nose portion in front of said figure-holding depression with a recess therein for receiving said holding protuberance of said cover, whereby said cover can be installed by fitting said holding protuberance into said recess and attaching said pair of sheet engaging members to said sheet.

6. A toy airplane for holding a toy figure comprising:

a flying airplane structure with a closed-ended elongated depression therein that extends at least about one-fourth the length of said airplane between the forward and rear ends thereof, and which has a height which is substantially smaller than its length, for holding a toy figure in a reclining position,

said airplane having a center of gravity without said figure therein, which is spaced behind its center of lift by a distance of at least 10% of the entire length of said airplane, and said figure-holding recess being positioned in front of said center of lift, whereby the center of gravity can be moved close to the center of lift by installing said figure in said recess.

(References on following page) 6 References Cited 2,870,569 1/1959 Bergstrand 4676 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,238,663 3/1966 Barr 4677 5/1934 Timbs 4676 R LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner $323 "";5- g} 5 A. HEINZ, Assistant Examiner 4/1951 Christman 4676 UIS. C1. X-R' 3/1958 Shapiro 4677 

